Horse found starving, frozen in southern Utah dies

She was making good progress for a while &#133; but her systems probably couldn’t handle it.—Ginger Grimes, founder of Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary

CEDAR CITY — Elsa, a horse found frozen to the ground earlier this month in Enoch, passed away Saturday afternoon.

Enoch Animal Control seized 18-month-old Elsa and her mother, Anna, when people passing by Jan. 2 found them starving to death in the backyard of an Enoch home.

They were taken to Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary for Horses in Cedar City. When the horses were rescued, they were malnourished and dying, according to Ginger Grimes, founder of Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary.

"She was making good progress for a while but her systems probably couldn’t handle it," Grimes said.

Elsa and Anna received close attention and rehabilitation and appeared to be getting stronger. Anna is on the road to recovery and will be put up for a adoption when she's healthy.

However, Elsa took a turn for the worse Saturday and died around 4:30 p.m.

"As soon as she was up, she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to eat," Grimes said. "She was willing to do anything she could, but I think in the end it had just been a long road for her, and she tried for as long as she could, but it just wasn’t going to happen."

Elsa was buried by the front gates of the sanctuary.

The horses' owner said he couldn't afford to take care of them anymore. Police say people who can't care for their animals should call a state or rescue agency for help.

"We found the horse laying in the corral, frozen in the mud. There's no reason that any animal needs to suffer like that," Enoch Police Chief Jackson Ames said.